One-piece insulating container

ABSTRACT

A one-piece insulating container is provided. The container is formed from a container template that includes a generally flat case blank and an insulation template secured to the case blank. The case blank and insulation template may be folded simultaneously to form the three-dimensional container. The insulation template is designed to cushion and insulate an interior volume defined by the formed case blank. When folding, the insulation template conforms to the shape of the folded case blank. The case blank and insulation template may thus be manipulated in tandem to provide a completely enclosed space that is insulated on all sides. The dimensions of the case blank and insulation template may be adjusted to establish containers of varying sizes and dimensions.

CROSS REFERENCES

This application claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Application No.62/591,573, filed on Nov. 28, 2017, which application is incorporatedherein by reference.

FIELD OF THE DISCLOSURE

The subject matter of the present disclosure refers generally to acontainer for providing protection and temperature-control for contentsof the container.

BACKGROUND

When shipping fragile or temperature-sensitive items, consumersgenerally have a limited number of container options that provide bothinsulation and cushioning sufficient to maintain and protect those itemsduring transit. For spatially smaller shipments or mailings, paperenvelopes lined with plastic bubble wrap are sometimes used. However,these envelops generally provide limited impact protection and virtuallyno insulation and thus are often unsuitable for fragile and/ortemperature-sensitive items. In some instances, rolls of bubble wrap maybe utilized to wrap individual items thereby equipping the same with anadditional layer of padding during shipping. However, wrappingindividual items in this manner may prove inconvenient, time-consuming,and costly—particularly for irregularly shaped items requiring shipment.Moreover, because mail carriers often do not permit the shipment ofitems encased in bubble wrap alone, items wrapped in bubble wrapgenerally must be placed within a container before the item can beshipped, which further increases the time, effort, and cost associatedwith shipping the item. For spatially larger items, containers, such ascorrugated boxes, may be used. However, the corrugated walls of suchboxes provide very little cushioning and, thus, generally cannotwithstand significant impacts without the structural integrity of thecontainer becoming compromised and the item stored therein from beingdamaged. Additionally, because the corrugated boxes currently used inthe field are generally corrugated in a manner such that the interior ofthe box walls contains a substantial amount of air therein, corrugatedboxes currently used in the field are generally poor insulators, and, assuch, cannot be utilized in the shipment of temperature-sensitive items.Although boxes or other containers having expanded polystyrene thereinmay be used to help maintain temperature, expanded polystyrene provideslimited cushioning and is generally non-biodegradable.

In some instances, foam peanuts or plastic pillows inflated with air maybe used in conjunction with certain shipping containers to minimize theempty space present within the container. However, because thesepackaging devices generally do not occupy the entirety of the internalvolume of the container not occupied by the item desired for shipment,both the foam peanuts or inflated plastic pillows as well as the itembeing shipped may shift within the container during transit, oftenresulting in breakage of the shipped item. Moreover, because foampeanuts and inflated plastic pillows are generally not designed toprovide insulation, these packaging devices generally cannot be reliedupon when shipping temperature-sensitive items, such as perishable foodproducts.

Currently, thermal liners and a variety of refrigerants, such as icepacks or gel packs, are relied upon to regulate the temperature within ashipping container's interior volume. However, such liners andrefrigerants are generally not components of the shipping containeritself, but rather are separate elements designed to be placed orinstalled within a shipping container once the shipping container isfully constructed. Accordingly, to ship temperature-sensitive itemsusing known containers, such as corrugated boxes, and liners and/orrefrigerants, the container often must be manipulated from its templateform, which is generally planar, into its constructed, three-dimensionalbox form and the liners and/or refrigerants subsequently installedwithin the interior volume of the box. Often, installation of the linersand/or refrigerants must be done by hand as such materials must beplaced with precision to ensure the interior volume of the containerexhibits proper thermal regulation. Accordingly, the step of installingor otherwise associating such liners and/or refrigerants with knownshipping containers only after the container has been manipulated into athree-dimensional form often increases the time, effort, and costsassociated with temperature-sensitive items.

Accordingly, a need exists in the art for a container having a one-piecedesign that provides improved cushioning and insulation for shippingfragile and/or temperature-sensitive items.

SUMMARY

In accordance with the present disclosure, a one-piece container, acontainer template for forming the container, and a method of formingthe container are provided. The present container is designed to providea completely enclosed space that is cushioned and insulated on allsides. The container generally comprises a container body formed from acase blank configured to transition from a generally flat configurationinto a three-dimensional shape, such as a box, and an insulationtemplate designed to cushion and insulate an interior volume defined bythe container body. The insulation template is secured to the case blankand designed such that as the case blank transitions from a generallyflat configuration into a three-dimensional shape of the container body,the insulation template transitions simultaneously with the case blankfrom a generally flat configuration into a three-dimensional shape. Inthis way, the present container does not require the container to beformed into a three-dimensional configuration before insulation materialis associated therewith. The dimensions of the container body andinsulation template may be adjusted to form containers of varying sizeand dimension. For instance, the dimensions of the container body andinsulation template may be adjusted to correspond to standard sizedcardboard boxes used by the United States Postal Service or otherfreight carriers, such as FedEx or UPS, for shipping items.

The case blank comprises a unitary piece of material, which ispreferably corrugated cardboard, that is divided into a plurality ofsections. To enable the container to be manipulated into a square orrectangular box shape, the case blank may be divided into four sectionsarranged in a row. The boundary of each section may be defined by acombination of cuts and fold lines present throughout the case blank. Inaddition to defining sectional boundaries, the cuts and fold linesfacilitate folding of the case blank into a three-dimensional shape. Ina preferred embodiment, each section of the case blank is subdividedinto a side wall subsection and two opposing flaps attached to opposingsides of each side wall subsection. Depending on the load to be placedwithin the container, the number of subsections within each section mayvary. For instance, for heavier loads, each section of the case blankmay be subdivided into three subsections, including a side wallsubsection and two opposing flaps. For lighter loads, the case blank maybe designed such that the sections alternate between having onesubsection and three subsections. For instance, the case blank may bedivided into four sections where two of the four sections are subdividedinto three subsections defining a side wall and a two flaps, while theremaining two sections only have a single subsection. To secure thecontainer body in a three-dimensional configuration, the case blank mayfurther comprise at least one tab attached to and extending from asection of the case blank. The at least one tab is preferably configuredto secure to an exterior surface of a section positioned opposite fromthe section from which the at least one tab extends.

The insulation template comprises at least one insulating member. Eachinsulating member comprises a soft, flexible material that can bereadily compressed and deformed to enable the insulation template toconform to the shape assumed by the container body and to providecushioning and insulation for items placed within the container. Eachinsulating member preferably comprises cotton fibers to act as acushioning agent. In one embodiment, each insulating member may comprisea bi-component fiber including cotton fibers and another type of fiber,such as polyester fibers or polyethylene fibers, which may be present inan amount sufficient to hold the cotton fiber together in order to forma distinct, defined insulating member that may be secured to the caseblank as a unit of insulation so that the case blank and the insulationtemplate secured thereto may be utilized to form a “one-piece”insulating container in a single folding step that includes simultaneousfolding of the case blank and the insulation template. The fibers mayalso contain biodegradable additives. Each insulating member may furthercomprise a film or other material in which the insulation templatematerials may be encapsulated. The thickness of each insulating membermay vary depending on the dimensions of the container body and thedesired amount of cushioning or insulation to be provided thereby. Toprovide for additional insulation, the container may further compriseheating or cooling elements attached to the container body or embeddedwithin or secured to the insulation template.

Accordingly, in a preferred embodiment, the present container isfoldably formed from a container template comprising a generally flatcase blank and a foldable insulation template secured to one side of thecase blank. The case blank is adapted to foldably form athree-dimensional container having interior surfaces when folded. Thecase blank as four sections arranged in a row, and each sectioncomprises a side wall subsection and opposing flaps attached to eachside wall section. The insulation template is shaped to cover the sidewall subsections of all four sections and to cover two opposing flaps ofone of the four sections. The insulation template is adapted tosimultaneously fold with the case blank so that the insulation templatecovers all interior surfaces of the three-dimensional container whenfolded. A method of forming the container is also provided. First, thefoldable insulation template is secured to one side of the case blank.Once secured thereto, the case blank and insulation template are foldedsimultaneously so that the insulation template conforms to the shape ofthe case blank as they are folded. Once folded in tandem, the case blankand insulation template form a three-dimensional container in which allinterior surfaces are covered by the insulation template.

The foregoing summary has outlined some features of the apparatus,system, and method of the present disclosure so that those skilled inthe pertinent art may better understand the detailed description thatfollows. Additional features that form the subject of the claims will bedescribed hereinafter. Those skilled in the pertinent art shouldappreciate that they can readily utilize these features for designing ormodifying other structures for carrying out the same purposes of theapparatus and system disclosed herein. Those skilled in the pertinentart should also realize that such equivalent designs or modifications donot depart from the scope of the apparatus, system and methods of thepresent disclosure.

DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

These and other features, aspects, and advantages of the presentdisclosure will become better understood with regard to the followingdescription, appended claims, and accompanying drawings where:

FIG. 1 shows a top view of a disassembled container embodying featuresconsistent with the principles of the present disclosure.

FIG. 2 shows a top view of a container embodying features consistentwith the principles of the present disclosure.

FIG. 3 shows a perspective view of a container embodying featuresconsistent with the principles of the present disclosure placed in athree-dimensional configuration.

FIG. 4 shows a perspective view of a container embodying featuresconsistent with the principles of the present disclosure placed in athree-dimensional configuration.

FIG. 5 shows a top view of a container embodying features consistentwith the principles of the present disclosure.

FIG. 6 shows a top view of a container embodying features consistentwith the principles of the present disclosure.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

In the Summary above and in this Detailed Description, and the claimsbelow, and in the accompanying drawings, reference is made to particularfeatures, including method steps, of the invention. It is to beunderstood that the disclosure of the invention in this specificationincludes all possible combinations of such particular features. Forexample, where a particular feature is disclosed in the context of aparticular aspect or embodiment of the invention, or a particular claim,that feature can also be used, to the extent possible, in combinationwith/or in the context of other particular aspects of the embodiments ofthe invention, and in the invention generally.

The term “comprises” and grammatical equivalents thereof are used hereinto mean that other components, steps, etc. are optionally present. Forexample, a system “comprising” components A, B, and C can contain onlycomponents A, B, and C, or can contain not only components A, B, and C,but also one or more other components.

Where reference is made herein to a method comprising two or moredefined steps, the defined steps can be carried out in any order orsimultaneously (except where the context excludes that possibility), andthe method can include one or more other steps which are carried outbefore any of the defined steps, between two of the defined steps, orafter all the defined steps (except where the context excludes thatpossibility).

The term “removably secured” and grammatical equivalents thereof areused herein to mean the joining of two components in a manner such thatthe two components are secured together, but may be detached from oneanother and re-secured together without requiring the use of specializedtools.

In accordance with the present disclosure, a “one-piece” insulatingcontainer 10 is provided. FIGS. 1-6 illustrate preferred embodiments ofthe present insulating container 10. FIG. 1 illustrates a preferredembodiment of the container 10 disassembled to better illustrate certainfeatures of the container 10. As shown in FIG. 1, the container 10generally comprises a container body 100, which is in the form of agenerally flat case blank 100 before assembly of the container, and ainsulation template 200. Thus, the three-dimensional container may beformed from a container template 10 that comprises the generally flatcase blank 100 and foldable insulation template 200. The case blank 100preferably comprises a unitary piece of material adapted to foldablytransition from a generally flat configuration, as shown in FIGS. 1, 2,5, and 6, to a three-dimensional configuration as shown in FIGS. 3 and4. In this way, the case blank 100 may be manipulated to form and retaina three-dimensional shape, such as a box, that defines an interiorvolume in which items and the insulation template 200 may be housed, asbest shown in FIG. 4. As such, the container body 100 may define anexterior shell of the present container 10. To enable the case blank 100to foldably transition from a flat configuration to a three-dimensionalconfiguration, the case blank 100 has a series of fold lines 160 andcuts 170 therein. The fold lines 160 function as living hinges by whichvarious sections of the case blank 100 may be folded to form athree-dimensional shape. The fold lines 160 may be formed by scoring,creasing, or perforating certain portions of the case blank. In someinstances, the fold lines 160 may be formed by reducing the thickness ofone or more defined portions of the case blank 100. As best shown inFIG. 1, the cuts 170 within the case blank 100 serve to disassociate oneportion of the case blank 100 from an adjacent portion of the case blank100.

The container body 100 may be made of a cardboard material that definesa single-face board, a single wall board, a double wall board, or atriple wall board. Alternatively, the container body 100 may at leastpartially comprise plastic, cotton, rubber, or any other suitablematerials known for forming containers. The dimensions of the containerbody 100 may be adjusted to establish containers of varying size anddimension. In some instances, size and dimension of the container body100 may be adjusted to correspond to standard sized boxes used by theUnited States Postal Service or other freight carriers, such as FedEx orUPS, for shipping items.

The case blank 100 is divided into four sections. To enable thecontainer template 10 to be manipulated into a square or rectangular boxshape, the case blank 100 may be divided into a first section 110, asecond section 120, a third section 130, and a fourth section 140, asbest shown in FIG. 1. However, one of skill in the art will readilyappreciate that the container body may be divided into additional orfewer sections to facilitate the formation of different containershapes. For instance, the case blank 100 may be divide into only threesections such that the case blank may be formed into a triangularcuboidal shape. As shown in FIG. 1, the boundary of each section may bedefined by one or more series of fold lines 160 and cuts 170. Forinstance, as shown in FIG. 1, the boundary between each section 110,120, 130, and 140 may be defined by at least one boundary linecomprising a fold line 160 disposed between and in line with two cuts170. It is understood however, that the fold lines 160 and/or cuts 170defining the boundary between adjacent sections may be oriented indifferent manners without departing from the inventive subject matterdisclosed herein.

Each section 110-140 of the case blank 100 may be subdivided into aplurality of subsections to form a series of walls and flaps of thecontainer body 100. For instance, section 110 may be divided into a sidewall subsection 110 b and two opposing flap subsections 110 a and 110 cthat are each attached to the side wall subsection 110 b. As best shownin FIG. 1, the boundary between adjacent subsections within eachrespective section may be defined by one or more fold lines 160.Depending on the load to be placed within or transported within thecontainer 10, the number of subsections within each section 110-140 mayvary. To support heavier loads, each section 110-140 of the case blank100 may be subdivided into three subsections. In such embodiments, thefirst subsection within each section may define a first flap 110 a, 120a, 130 a, and 140 a. The second subsection within each section maydefine a side wall 110 b, 120 b, 130 b, and 140 b. The third subsectionwithin each section may define a second opposing flap 110 c, 120 c, 130c, and 140 c. Accordingly, in some embodiments the container body 100may comprise: four flaps 110 a, 120 a, 130 a, and 140 a on a first sideof each side wall subsection; four side walls subsections 110 b, 120 b,130 b, and 140 b; and four opposing flaps 110 c, 120 c, 130 c, and 140 con a second side of each side wall subsection. In such embodiments, theshape and size of the first set of flaps may vary. For instance, two ofthe four flaps on the first side may be sized to cover half of anopening defined by the four side wall subsections when the container isplaced in a three-dimensional configuration while the remaining twoflaps may be sized to cover the entirety of such an opening, as bestshown n FIGS. 1, 3, and 4. The opposing flaps may vary in size in thesame manner. For lighter loads, the case blank 100 may be designed suchthat the certain sections comprise only a single subsection while othersections comprise two or more subsections. For instance, the firstsection 110 and third section 130 may each comprise a first, second, andthird subsection defining a side wall and two opposing flaps,respectively, while the second section 120 and fourth section 140 mayeach comprise only a single subsection that defines a side wall. Thus,in some embodiments, the case blank 100 may comprise four side wallswith opposing flaps attached to only two of the side walls. In suchembodiments, the two flaps on one side may be equally sized with eachother and the two flaps on the opposing side may be equally sized witheach other.

To secure the container body in a three-dimensional configuration, thecontainer body 100 further comprises at least one adhesive tab 150attached to and extending outwardly from a section of the case blank100. As shown in FIG. 1, the at least one tab 150 preferably extendsoutwardly from an end side wall subsection 110 b or 140 b of one of theoutermost sections 110, 140 of the container body 100. The boundarybetween the at least one tab 150 and the side wall subsection 110 b, 140b to which it extends from may be defined by a fold line 160. The atleast one tab 150 is configured to secure the section to which the tabis attached to an opposing end section of the case blank 100 oppositethe section from which the at least one tab 150 extends from. To thisend, the at least one tab 150 may have adhesive on an interior surfaceof the tab, exterior surface, or both. For instance, the at least onetab 150 may extend from the side wall subsection 140 b of the section140 and have adhesive on its interior surface, such that the case blank100 may be placed and then secured in a three-dimensional configurationby securing the interior surface of the at least one tab 150 to anexterior surface of side wall subsection 110 b of section 110. In someinstances, the at least one tab 150 may have an adhesive strip 151, asshown in FIG. 3, which may be used to secure the at least one tab 150 toanother portion of the container body 100. Alternatively, the adhesivemay be a fugitive glue or similar type of adhesive that has sufficientstrength to keep sections of the case blank 100 secured together duringnormal use and shipping, but allows manual separation to deconstruct thecontainer. Thus, the use of a fugitive glue may facilitate recycling ofthe case blank 100 by allowing easy removal of adhesive. In anotheralternative embodiment, one or more first securing members and one ormore second securing members, where the first securing members areconfigured to interlock with the second interlocking members, may beused to hold the case blank 100 in a three-dimensional configuration.For instance, in one embodiment, a first securing member may be securedto the interior surface of the at least one tab 150 and the secondsecuring member may be secured to the exterior surface of subsection 110b opposite from subsection 140 b from which the at least one tab 150extends. In some embodiments, the first and second securing members maycomprise hook and loop fasteners, though any fastening or securingdevice suitable for removably securing one object to another including,but not limited to, snap buttons, magnets, and adhesive tapes, may beused as the first and second securing members.

The insulation template 200 is configured to provide cushioning andinsulation for the container 10. The insulation template 200 comprisesat least one insulating member. As shown in FIGS. 1, 2, and 5, theinsulation template 200 may comprise a first insulating member 200 a anda second insulating member 200 b in one preferred embodiment.Alternatively, the insulation template 200 may comprise a singleinsulating member, as shown in FIG. 6. Each insulating member 200 a, 200b, is constructed of soft, flexible material that can be readilycompressed and deformed in order to provide cushioning and insulationfor items placed within the container 10. Each insulating member 200 a,200 b may comprise primarily natural cotton fibers to act as acushioning agent. In one embodiment, each insulating member may comprisea bi-component fiber including cotton fibers and another type of fiber,such as polyester fiber or polyethylene fibers, which may be present inan amount sufficient to hold the cotton fiber together in order to forma distinct, defined insulating member that may be secured to the caseblank 100 as a unit of insulation. The fibers may also containbiodegradable additives. In some instances, the insulating members mayinclude recycled fabrics, polymers, and the like. Each insulating member200 a, 200 b may optionally further comprise a film or other materialthat serves to encapsulate the insulating material and functions as anexternal layer of the insulating member. For instance, the insulatingmaterial of each insulating member may be encapsulated withinpolyethylene plastic or a polyester sheet. The external layer of theinsulating members 200 a, 200 b may aid in securing the insulating andcushioning fibers together to form a unit of insulation template. Theexternal layer of each insulating member and/or the insulating materialcontained therein may be biodegradable.

The thickness of each insulating member 200 a, 200 b may vary dependingon the dimensions of the container body 100 and the desired amount ofcushioning to be provided by the container 10. Each insulating member200 a, 200 b preferably has a thickness that is at least twice as thickas the thickness of the case blank 100. In a preferred embodiment, eachinsulating member 200 a, 200 b is about one-quarter to two inches thickwhen in a decompressed state, as best shown in FIGS. 3-4.

The insulation template 200 is secured to one side of the case blank100, which is the side that forms an interior surface of the containerbody 100, as shown in FIGS. 2-6. When the insulation template 200 issecured to the case blank 100, the container 10 is ready to bemanipulated from the flat configuration into the three-dimensionalconfiguration. The insulation template 200 is sized, shaped, and securedto the case blank 100 such that when the case blank 100 is manipulatedto form a box, the insulation template 200 cushions and insulates thetop, bottom, and each side of the formed box, as best shown in FIGS.3-4. To this end, the template 200 may be shaped, sized, and secured tothe case blank such that the insulation template 200 substantiallycovers the side wall subsections 110 b, 120 b, 130 b, and 140 b of allfour sections 110, 120, 130, and 140, respectively, and substantiallycovers two opposing flaps of one of the four sections, which arepreferably flaps 140 a and 140 c of end section 140. Thus, theinsulation template 200 covers the entirety of one section of the caseblank 100 and the side wall subsections of each of the remainingsections, as shown best in FIGS. 2 and 5. For instance, the insulationtemplate 200 may substantially cover the entirety of section 140 of thecontainer body 100 and cover the remaining side wall subsections 110 b,120 b, and 130 b, as shown in FIGS. 2 and 5. In instances where theinsulation template 200 comprises a first insulating member 200 a and asecond insulating member 200 b, the first insulating member 200 a may besecured to section 140, and the second insulating member 200 b may besecured to sections 110, 120, and/or 130 in. In such embodiments, thefirst insulating member 200 a may be sized to define a perimeter that issmaller than the perimeter defined by the entirety of section 140, andthe second insulating member 200 b may be sized to define a perimeterthat is smaller than the perimeter defined by the side wall subsections110 b, 120 b, 130 c of sections 110, 120, 130, as best shown in FIG. 2.

The insulation template 200 may be attached in alternative arrangementsor configurations depending on the design of the case blank 100. Forinstance, in some embodiments, sections 110 and 130 of the case blank100 may each have a side wall subsection and two opposing flaps, whilesections 120 and 140 of the case blank 100 each have only a side wallsubsection. In such embodiments, the insulation template 200 may beshaped and sized such that when secured to the case blank 100 theinsulation template substantially covers the entire section 110 andcovers the side wall subsections of sections 120, 130, and 140. As such,one of skill in the art will readily appreciate that the insulationtemplate 200 may be secured to the case blank in any arrangement orconfiguration that causes the insulation template 200 to completely padan interior volume defined by the container body 100 when the containerbody 100 is placed in a three-dimensional configuration, as shown inFIGS. 3-4. As shown in FIGS. 2, 5, and 6, in some embodiments, thetemplate may form a “T” shape, though depending on the design of thecontainer body 100, the shape, size, and orientation to which theinsulation template 200 is secured thereto may vary.

To secure the insulation template 200 to the case blank 100, theinterior surface of one or more subsections of the case blank 100 mayhave adhesives or film applied thereto. In embodiments where theinsulation template 200 comprises a first insulating member 200 a and asecond insulating member 200 b, preferably at least two subsections ofthe case blank 100 have film or adhesive applied thereto such that afirst subsection with adhesive or film secures the first insulatingmember 200 a in place and a second subsection with adhesive or filmsecures the second insulating member 200 b in place. In alternativeembodiments, each subsection of the case blank 100 may have adhesive orfilm applied thereto. In a preferred embodiment, the adhesive is afugitive glue or similar type of adhesive that has sufficient strengthto keep the insulation template secured to the case blank 100 duringnormal use and shipping, but allows manual separation of the insulationtemplate 200 from the case blank 100. Thus, the use of a fugitive gluemay facilitate recycling of both the case blank 100 and the insulationtemplate 200 by allowing easy removal of adhesive from these components.Alternatively, to enable the insulation template 200 to be associatedand disassociated with the case blank 100 as desired, the insulationtemplate 200 may be removably secured to the case blank 100 in someembodiments. In such embodiments, the insulation template 200 may besecured to the case blank 100 by interlocking one or more first securingmembers secured to an interior surface of the case blank 100 with one ormore second securing members secured to a surface of the insulationtemplate 200.

Once the insulation template 200 is secured to the interior surface ofthe case blank 100, the container template 10 is ready to foldablytransition from a flat configuration, as shown in FIGS. 1, 2, 5, and 6,into a three-dimensional configuration forming a box shape, as shown inFIG. 4. To form the three-dimensional container 10, the case blank 100and the insulation template 200 secured thereto are foldedsimultaneously so that the shape of the insulation template 200 conformsto the shape of the case blank 100. The transitioning may begin byfolding the first section 110 about the fold line 160 separating thefirst side wall subsection 110 b from the second side wall subsection120 b such that the first and second side wall subsections 110 b and 120b form an approximately 90-degree angle. The case blank 100 is thenfolded about the fold line 160 separating the second side wallsubsection 120 b from the third side wall subsection 130 b such that thesecond side wall subsection 120 b and the third side wall subsection 130b form an approximately 90-degree angle, as shown in FIG. 3. The caseblank 100 may then be folded about the fold line 160 separating thethird side wall subsection 130 b from the fourth side wall subsection140 b such that third side wall subsection 130 b and the fourth sidewall subsection 140 b form an approximately 90-degree angle and thefirst side wall subsection 110 b and the fourth side wall subsection 140b form an approximately 90-degree angle, as shown in FIG. 3.

As further shown in FIG. 3, when the container body 100 is manipulatedin the above-described manner, the first section 110 is opposite thethird section 130, and the second section 120 is opposite to the fourthsection 140, causing the container 10 to assume a cube shape having atop opening 190 and a bottom opening 180. Because the insulationtemplate 200 comprises a soft, flexible material that can be readilycompressed and deformed, the insulation template 200 conforms to theshape assumed by the container body 100 and pads each side of the cube,as further shown in FIG. 3. To secure the container 10 in such an opencube configuration the at least one tab 150 is then secured to the firstsection 110 via adhesives or through the interlocking of a first andsecond securing members. Preferably, the interior surface of the atleast one tab 150 is configured to secure to the exterior surface of thefirst section 110, as best shown in FIG. 3. Alternatively, the exteriorsurface of the at least one tab 150 may be configured to secure to theinterior surface of the first section 110.

The bottom opening 180 of the cube may be closed by folding each bottomflap subsection inwardly. Depending on the design of the container body,this may involve folding two or four bottom flaps inwardly. Inembodiments having four bottom flaps, the first bottom flap subsection110 c and the third bottom flap subsection 130 c are opposite eachother, and the second bottom flap subsection 120 c and the fourth bottomflap subsection 140 c are opposite each other when the container isplaced in an open-cube configuration, as shown in FIG. 3. As shown bestin FIG. 1, the second and fourth flap subsections 120 c and 140 c may belarger than the first and third flap subsections 110 c and 140 c.Preferably, at least one bottom flap subsection of the container body100 is shaped and sized to define an area approximately equal to thesize of the bottom opening 180. In some embodiments, the second andfourth bottom flap subsections 120 c and 140 c may be sized and shapedto define an area approximately equal to the size of the bottom opening180 of the container 10, and the first and third bottom flap subsections110 c and 130 c may be sized and shaped to define an area approximatelyequal to one-half the size of the bottom opening 180 of the container10, as shown best in FIGS. 1, 3, and 4. However, one of skill in the artwill appreciate the shape and size of each respective bottom flapsubsection may vary without departing from the inventive subject matterdisclosed herein. For instance, to support heavier loads, each bottomflap subsection may be shaped and sized to define an area approximatelyequal to the size of the bottom opening 180.

As shown in FIG. 3, at least one of the flap subsections that form thebottom of the container has a portion of the insulation template 200associated therewith. To provide padding for the bottom portion of thebox shown in FIG. 4, the bottom flap subsection having a portion of theinsulation template 200 associated therewith is first folded inwardly toestablish a padded bottom wall for the container 10. The bottom flapsubsection that is opposite to the bottom flap subsection having aportion of the insulation template 200 associated therewith is thenfolded inwardly. If additional bottom flap subsections are presentwithin the container body 100, those bottom flap subsections aresubsequently folded inwardly. To hold the bottom flaps in an inwardlyfolded, closed configuration, tape, adhesives, staples, banding, orother known elements may be used. Once the bottom flap subsections arefolded and held in the closed configuration, the bottom opening 180shown in FIG. 3 is closed by a padded bottom wall. As such, items may beplaced within a partially enclosed interior volume defined by thecontainer body's 100 side wall subsections and bottom flap subsectionsand the insulation template 200.

The top opening 190 of the cube shown in FIGS. 3-4 may be closed byfolding each flap subsection forming the top of the container inwardly.Depending on the design of the container body, this may involve foldingtwo or four top flaps inwardly. In embodiments having four top flaps,the first top flap subsection 110 a and the third top flap subsection130 a are opposite each other, and the second top flap subsection 120 aand the fourth top flap subsection 140 a are opposite each other whenthe container is placed in an open-cube configuration, as shown in FIG.3-4. As shown best in FIG. 1, the second and fourth top flap subsections120 a and 140 a may be larger than the first and third top flapsubsections 110 a and 130 a. Preferably, at least one top flapsubsection of the container body 100 is shaped and sized to define anarea approximately equal to the size of the top opening 190. In someembodiments, the second and fourth top flap subsections 120 a and 140 amay be sized and shaped to define an area approximately equal to thesize of the top opening 190, and the first and third top flapsubsections 110 a and 130 a may be sized and shaped to define an areaapproximately equal to one-half the size of the top opening 190, asshown best in FIGS. 1, 3, and 4. However, one of skill in the art willappreciate the shape and size of each respective top flap subsection mayvary without departing from the inventive subject matter disclosedherein. For instance, to support heavier loads, each top flap subsectionmay be shaped and sized to define an area approximately equal to thesize of the top opening 190.

As shown in FIG. 4, at least one of the top flap subsections has aportion of the insulation template 200 associated therewith. To providepadding for the top portion of the box shown in FIG. 4, the top flapsubsection having a portion of the insulation template 200 associatedtherewith is first folded inwardly to establish a padded top wall. Thetop flap subsection that is opposite the top flap subsection having aportion of the insulation template 200 associated therewith is thenfolded inwardly. If additional top flap subsections are present withinthe container body 100, those top flap subsections are subsequentlyfolded inwardly. To hold the top flap subsections in an inwardly folded,closed configuration, tape, adhesives, staples, banding, or other knownelements may be used. Once the top flap subsections are folded and heldin the closed configuration, the top opening 190 shown in FIG. 4 isclosed by a padded top wall. At this point, the container 10 defines acompletely enclosed, padded interior volume in which items desired forshipment may be housed during transit.

As show in FIG. 5, in some embodiments, the container 10 may furthercomprise heating or cooling elements 210. The heating or coolingelements may be incorporated directly into or onto the insulationtemplate 200, as shown in FIG. 5, and/or may alternatively beincorporated directly into or onto the case blank 100. In someinstances, water-based ice and gel packs configured to keep materialscold around 0° Celsius may be used. In a preferred embodiment, thecontainer 10 may include phase change materials. As used herein, phasechange materials (PCMs) may include, but are not limited to,water-based, salt hydrates, paraffins, and vegetable-based materials.Salt hydrates consist of inorganic salts and water. The use of salthydrates may be preferred as they possess a high latent heat storagecapacity, precise melting point, have high thermal conductivity, and aregenerally inflammable. The melting point of such hydrates may rangebetween 15° Celsius and 80° Celsius. Paraffins, typically, are derivedfrom petroleum and have a waxy consistency at room temperature. The useof such paraffins may be desirable as they generally possess goodthermal storage capacity, are proven to freeze without super cooling,have improved chemical stability over many heating and freezing cycles,are non-corrosive, and are compatible with most encapsulation materials.Such paraffins may have a melting point ranging between −8° Celsius and40° Celsius. Bio-based PCMs are organic compounds derived from animalfat and plant oils. Such bio-based PCMs may have a melting point between40° Celsius and 151° Celsius. The use of bio-based PCMs may be preferredas they are often derived from fatty acids and have higher efficiencythan salt hydrates and petroleum-based phase change material. One ofskill in the art will appreciate that other PCMs may be used with thecontainer 10 of the present disclosure and fall within the scope of theinventive subject matter.

The above-described PCMs may be attached or incorporated directly intothe case blank 100 and/or the insulation template 200. In this way, thePCMs may be activated, either chemically or physically, and immediatelypacked for shipping. For example, containers 10 utilizing gel packs maybe stored in a refrigerated area along with the goods being stored. Inthis way, the gel packs will cool to the shipping temperature in thesame facility in which it is loaded and will not require additionalenergy for cooling the packs. In another embodiment, a user maychemically set a PCM for a specific temperature range. Upon setting thetemperature range of the material, the container 10 may be immediatelyfolded into a three-dimensional box configuration, loaded, and shipped.

The dimensions of each component of the container 10 described hereinmay be adjusted to form containers of varying dimensions. For instance,the container body 100 and/or template discussed above may be shaped andsized to correspond to standard sized boxes or containers used by theUnited States Postal Service or other freight carriers, such as FedEx orUPS, for shipping fragile or temperature-sensitive items.

The devices and methods shown and described herein are exemplary. Thoughcertain characteristics of the present disclosure are described above,the description is illustrative only. It is understood that versions ofthe container disclosed above may come in different forms andembodiments. Additionally, it is understood that one of skill in the artwould appreciate these various forms and embodiments as falling withinthe scope of the invention as disclosed herein.

What is claimed is: 1) A container template for foldably forming acontainer having an insulated and cushioned interior, said containertemplate comprising: a generally flat case blank adapted to foldablyform a three-dimensional container having interior surfaces when folded,wherein the case blank has four sections arranged in a row, wherein eachsection comprises a side wall subsection and opposing flaps attached toeach side wall subsection; and an insulation template secured to oneside of the case blank and shaped to cover the side wall subsections ofall four sections and to cover two opposing flaps of one of the foursections, wherein the insulation template is adapted to foldsimultaneously with the case blank so that the insulation templatecovers all interior surfaces of the three-dimensional container whenfolded. 2) The container template of claim 1, wherein the insulationtemplate is secured to the case blank by an adhesive. 3) The containertemplate of claim 1, wherein the insulation template comprises fiberscontained within an encapsulating material. 4) The container template ofclaim 3, wherein the insulation template further comprisestemperature-control elements contained within the encapsulatingmaterial. 5) The container template of claim 1, wherein an end side wallsubsection of the case blank has an adhesive tab attached thereto andconfigured to secure the end side wall subsection to which the adhesivetab is attached to an opposing end side wall subsection. 6) A method offorming an insulated container, said method comprising the steps of:providing a generally flat case blank adapted to foldably form athree-dimensional container having interior surfaces when folded,wherein the case blank has four sections arranged in a row, wherein eachsection comprises a side wall subsection and opposing flaps attached toeach side wall subsection; providing a foldable insulation templateshaped to cover the side wall subsections of all four sections and tocover two opposing flaps of one of the four sections; securing theinsulation template to one side of the case blank in a position in whichthe insulation template covers the side wall subsections of all foursections of the case blank and covers two opposing flaps of one of thefour sections; and folding the case blank and the insulation templatesimultaneously, after the step of securing the insulation template toone side of the case blank, to form a three-dimensional container inwhich all interior surfaces of the three-dimensional container arecovered by the insulation template. 7) The method of claim 6, whereinthe step of securing the insulation template to one side of the caseblank comprises applying an adhesive to the case blank or to theinsulation template. 8) The method of claim 6, wherein the insulationtemplate comprises fibers contained within an encapsulating material. 9)The method of claim 8, wherein the insulation template further comprisestemperature-control elements contained within the encapsulatingmaterial, and the step of providing an insulation template comprisesinstalling the temperature-control elements within the encapsulatingmaterial. 10) The method of claim 6, wherein an end side wall subsectionof the case blank has an adhesive tab attached thereto and configured tosecure the end side wall subsection to which the adhesive tab isattached to an opposing end side wall subsection, further comprising thestep of securing the end side wall subsection to which the adhesive tabis attached to the opposing end side wall subsection with the adhesivetab.